A YOUNG mother says she is relieved the man who sexually abused and stalked her is serving a prison sentence.

Adele Bloor was 14 when she was involved in a two-year sexual relationship with Christopher Michael Niehus from 2003.

In November 2007, former District Court judge Marie Shaw gave Niehus a three-year suspended prison term after he pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse.

The sentencing led to Family First MP Dennis Hood calling in Parliament for Judge Shaw’s sacking – comments that he later retracted.

Ms Bloor, 23, said she had hoped the sentencing would end her ordeal but within days Niehus was again contacting her via email and Facebook.

“Some of the emails would report where I had parked my car and things like that, so I knew he’d been following or watching what I had been doing,” Ms Bloor said.

“After that initial sentence he seemed to think that was justification for what he had done and believed that the judge had said he hadn’t done anything wrong.

“If in 2007, had the judge given him some jail time I think it might have been a bit different – maybe he would have accepted that it was not acceptable or normal behaviour.”

Niehus, 35, also escaped going to jail when convicted of possession of child pornography in 2008.

Last November he was convicted of the aggravated stalking of Ms Bloor and earlier this month he was sentenced to a total of 29 months with a non-parole period of 18 months by Adelaide magistrate Sue O’Connor.

The sentence took into account the stalking and pornography charges and numerous breaches of bail conditions that stipulated he was not to contact Ms Bloor.

In rejecting an appeal for the sentence on the stalking charges last week, Supreme Court judge Tom Gray said Niehus’ “obsession with the victim appears to have extended over some years and the defendant’s conduct suggested a total disregard for the orders of the Court”.

Ms Bloor – who has moved interstate with her husband and two young children – said she hoped that she would never see Niehus again.

“I constantly worry about what he’s going to do when he gets out; even if it doesn’t involve me, I can’t imagine him changing those behaviours because they’ve gone on so long and been constant and ingrained,” she said.

Niehus will spend Christmas behind bars, after Magistrate David Whittle found him guilty of stalking the victim of his illicit affair.

Niehus was proven to have sent an identical threatening email to his victim and her husband via Facebook.

Niehus told them he was writing a book and wanted to include details of the victim, who at the time was preparing a court statement relating to his previous charges of unlawful sexual intercourse.

“I’m in the process of writing a book about the last 6-7 years of my life, court, yourself, etc and needed to clarify a few dates and facts,” Niehus’s message read.

“For example, first time we met in person … sex first time, the days and times … bail breaches and aid and abetting of the restraining order etc.

“I’ve put up by utter crap written by you, the husband, etc on forums and rubbish written in newspapers, it’s time I laid the facts out and told people the truth. That way they can make up their own minds.”

In 2007, Niehus was convicted of unlawful sexual intercourse – he was 27 and his victim was 14 – and given a three-year suspended sentence. In May 2008 he received a suspended sentence for child pornography possession.

His latest conviction means he will be sentenced not only for his recent crime, but face time for breaching the bonds imposed for his suspended sentences.

He has called on the Government to hold a joint sitting of Parliament to vote on removing Judge Shaw from office.

The Courts Administration Authority says Mr Hood has used incorrect information to back up his claims, relying on cases where the accused were not found guilty.

Mr Atkinson says Mr Hood’s response has been over the top.

“I’m sure Mr Hood knows the rules. If he wants to remove Judge Shaw then he moves a motion with a view to obtaining the support of both houses of parliament,” he said.

“He hasn’t done that. Instead he’s chosen to run it in the way he has and he really should know better.

“I think it’s perhaps aggravated by the imminence of a federal election on Saturday. In the calm light of next week, after the November 24 election, the DPP will no doubt look at the facts.”

Victims of Crime Commissioner Michael O’Connell says he will ask the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to consider appealing against the sentence which sparked Mr Hood’s criticism yesterday.

Christopher Michael Niehus was given a three-year suspended jail sentence by Judge Shaw for sexually abusing a girl from the age of 14.

Mr O’Connell says he does not want to comment in detail on the case.

“It’s my intention to write to the Director of Public Prosecutions asking him to consider an appeal on the basis that the sentence may not be adequate in terms of sending a strong message to the community that this type of behaviour is unacceptable,” he said.